Domino Effect
by Serry2
Summary: One change leads to another and the NarutoHakuGaara Team is formed.
1. Festival of the Fourth

I own Naruto! WORSHIP ME!

Hehe, just kidding. I write these chapters when I should be paying attention in class so they're a bit short. Anyways, this will be an eight chapter story and I wouldn't say no to a beta if someone is interested.

Summary: One change leads to another. The Naruto-Haku-Gaara formation.

Domino Effect – Festival of the Fourth

Another bottle came flying through the air and would have hit him in the head had Naruto not ducked in time. It was his fifth birthday, which fell on the anniversary of the fourth Hokage's triumph over the dreaded Kyuubi no Kitsune, and the village was holding its' annual festival in honor of the Fourth. Naruto hated this day because however much the villagers hated him they always became more violent on this day. Naruto had tried to hide in one of the back alleys, since he wasn't safe at his apartment, but he had still been discovered by a group of drunks who were now cutting off his escape routes and hurling insults and dangerous objects at him.

Naruto gasped as one of the villagers pulled out a dagger and ran at him with it. Without a doubt, he though to himself, he was going to die here. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable, his short life flashing through his mind. "If I do die," thought Naruto, "no one will miss me. What do I have to live for anyway?" Naruto waited for the blow to come but realized that none had come. Carefully, he opened his eyes and watched as the villager wobbled and fell unconscious to reveal a man standing behind him. Naruto gazed at the man, who he recognized as the only man to allow him to eat at his ramen stand and who never looked at him with the same hatred as the other villagers.

"What are you helping that demon for?" called out one irate drunk. "Don't you know what he is?"

"I don't care what you think he is," answered Ichiraku. "He's a child and I will not allow you to harm him." The drunkard took a menacing step forward and Ichiraku leaned down to Naruto. "Listen kid," he said quietly. "I'm going to make an opening and when I do, you run. Got that kid?" Naruto nodded, silent in his shock, and the man turned back to the mob.

The drunk who had spoken before growled and ran at the man with his fist raised. Moments later he found himself flying through the air and landing on three of his drinking buddies. Naruto gaped but a single nudge from the old man had him jumping over the human pile up and running through the streets of Konoha. Sounds of violence echoed behind him as the man fought to give him time to escape.

Naruto ran until he found himself on a deserted side road. He could hear the sounds of the festival coming from nearby but here it was calm. Naruto looked around for a place to hide from anyone who could have followed him. Spying a covered truck, full of cloths, parked next to a shop he quickly made his way over and hid himself in the folds of a bundle of cotton sheets.

"If I hide here for an hour the festival will have finished by then and I can go home." He settled in to wait out the hour. He forgot, however, the concussion that he had received during the attack and didn't even notice when he fell asleep.

There is the first chapter. Please tell me what you think. Another chapter should be coming on Sunday so look forward to it. 

Review no Jutsu!


	2. The Wheels

Creative license: $0

Writing Talent: $0

Disclaimer: $0

Not getting your keister sued: Priceless

There are some things money can't buy but you sure as hell wish they could.

Domino Effect: The Wheels On The Truck Go Round and Round

His bed was moving gently and he could feel the small jumps that it made every now and then. Naruto blinked at the absurdity of the observation and realized that this could not possibly be his hard, lumpy bed. Memories of the Festival of the Fourth came rushing back to him and Naruto stiffened in panic. "How long have I been sleeping," he wailed as he made his way to the top of the clothes pile. Sneaking to the side of the truck, he pulled back the tarp and was met with the site of sand as far as the eye could see and a barely distinguishable road that the truck was driving down. The truck stopped suddenly and Naruto found himself tumbling to the front of the truck. Naruto got ready to jump out of the truck but was stopped by a hand grabbing him by the gruff of his shirt. He braced himself to be forcibly tossed from the truck.

"Calm down kid," ordered a stern but gentle voice. Naruto found himself being lifted gently through the back window of the cab and into an empty seat. Naruto looked up and came face to face with a tall but gentle looking man standing over him. Right away, his eyes were drawn to the man's unusually white hair and his calm blue eyes. The man shut the window and pulled back to sit in the front seat. The cab of the truck was a five-seater and Naruto saw that there was another figure in the front passenger seat. The figure peered around at him, revealing himself to be a kid Naruto's age that was so beautiful that he was certain that she was a girl.

"He's a boy," the man informed him with a smile. Naruto gaped.

"Wow, I didn't know a boy could be pretty!" The boy gasped and drew back in his seat again.

"From the mouth of babes," replied the man with a chuckle. "My name is Sasame and this is Haku," he continued while starting the truck again.

"My name in Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto." He flinched and waited for the shouts of disgust but none came.

"That's a nice strong name. I imagine that you're from Konoha. So, what brought you to our truck?" Naruto settled back in his seat, grateful for the AC that was blasting from the vents. He told Sasame his story, trying not to cry, and was shocked when Haku climbed back to give him a hug.

"Don't you guys hate me?" asked Naruto softly and Sasame gave a mysterious smile.

"Did you know that ninja are banned in some parts of water country?" Naruto shook his head. "Back during the wars ninja were responsible for many deaths among the citizens and when the wars ended they were driven out of the villages by citizens who were afraid that they would not loose there love for killing. Most ninja grouped together in Kirigakure no Sato but some ninja abandoned their identities and hid amongst the villagers. Haku is from one such family. When his father discovered what he and his mother were he attacked them out of fear and killed Haku's mother." Naruto gasped and looked to Haku, who was crying softly. "I had been preparing to move to Konoha but the engine to my truck broke down at the last minute and it took me another week to get the right part. I left Kirigakure late and ended up driving through Haku's home village on the day that it happened. Haku was so terrified that he ran out into the road and almost got hit by me. I ended up taking him to Konoha with me and we've been living there together for the past three months. The point is that something bad happened in the past and so Haku was feared and attacked even though he had nothing to do with it. I believe that you are the same." Naruto looked to Haku and smiled sadly.

Sometime later, Naruto spoke up again. "Where are we going Sasame-san?" Sasame laughed.

"You can just call me Sasame. We're going to Sunagakure. Cloth is rare in that part of the country and so I regularly fill orders from there. We should reach the village by nightfall. Tomorrow we'll sell the cloth and then the day after we'll head back to Konohagakure. I'm sure that the villagers will have calmed down by then but I'll go have a talk with your guardian.

"I don't have one," said Naruto quietly. Sasame gave him a startled look through his rearview mirror. "The orphanage kicked me out so I live in an apartment by myself." Sasame stiffened.

"A very long talk with Hokage-sama then." Haku looked at the two of them and turned to Naruto with a smile.

"Hey, want to play?" he asked shyly. Naruto looked around the cab in confusion.

"Play what?" Haku smiled and held up a fist.

"Janken."

­­­­­­­­­­

Authors Note:

Okay people, there is my next chapter. As you may have guessed, Sasame was the first domino (well really his truck was). Expect the next one on Wednesday. Questions? Comments? Like? Hate? Beta?

Much thanks to I-Love-Haku (my first reviewer). I dedicate this Haku appearance to you. Sigh. So many hits and only one review. It's my fault though because I was accidentally blocking anonymous reviews. I've got that straightened up now.

If you want to know what Sasame looks like then think Sasame from Pretear. I'm too lazy to describe him and he's my favorite anime character right now. This is not a crossover, though, and there will be no romance (They're only five!).


	3. Are We There Yet?

Disclaimer: ………… What? What are you looking at?

Enjoy the crisp refreshing taste of chapter three. Oh yeah, and beware the penguins. (dobeeedobeedoooo)

Domino Effect: Are We There Yet?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Twenty games of Janken, twelve thumb wars, four rounds of 'I Spy' (before they got back to sand), two round robin stories, and a nap later Sunakagure came into view. At first it looked like a huge mountain cliff rising up out of the ground but Sasame pointed out the large crack in the rock that served as the gate to the hidden village. Naruto and Haku eagerly strained to see as much as they could of it and Naruto soon spotted men spread out on ledges of the cliff, all of them keeping guard of the entrance. Sasame checked in at the opening gate and they were soon entering the village. The buildings were both wide and short, the tallest being only three stories, and each was an earthy brown/beige color which blended in well with the sands around them. The people also wore earth-toned clothes and wore what looked like blankets around them.

"Those are wraps that people wear to protect them from the occasional sandstorms," said Sasame when he saw the boys starring.

"It rains sand here, Sasame?" asked Haku in confusion. Sasame laughed and Haku blushed in embarrassment. Sasame quickly smothered his laughter and gave him a reassuring look.

"I'm not surprised that you don't know, Haku. After all, you never had to worry about it in wave country. You see, in the desert big winds will occur that bring a lot of sand up into the air so that it seems the sky is storming with sand. It is actually very dangerous but this village is well protected by the cliff so they only get it occasionally." Haku and Naruto gasped and tried to imagine the sky filled with sand. It was almost too much for them to believe.

Sasame made a quick stop at the Kazekage's building and paid for a D-rank mission. When the genin team arrived he instructed them to watch his stock while he went to sleep in the inn. This fact didn't bother Naruto until supper. If Sasame was afraid that his stock might be stolen then why hadn't he arranged for an escort from Konoha? Being an untactful five-year old he asked. Sasame froze for a moment but did answer.

"When I was a child I lived in Mizukagure and attended the Shinobi Academy. I had a very good friend there that helped me to become strong. I always thought that we would be on a team together but that didn't happen. The day before the graduation exam my friend did something and I was not able to take the exam because I was in the hospital. That was probably his last kind act. The next day he took the exam and passed but he was the only one who did. I dropped out of the academy and opened up a clothing shop that same year. I never rejoined but I'm still strong enough to be a ninja of about chunin level."

"Do you hate him?" asked Haku.

"No, I forgave him long ago. He did help me to realize that I never want to be a ninja, after all. It was his weird way of protecting me."

"Why wouldn't you want to be a ninja?" asked Naruto in shock.

"Boys, you should know that I will never lie to you so you have to be sure that you're ready to hear the answer before you ask the question. I think that I'll put this in the 'I'll tell you when you're older' category." Naruto and Haku nodded slowly.

Later, Sasame tucked Naruto and Haku into bed and turned out the light. As he settled into his own bed a voice came form the boys' bed. "Sasame, will you really still talk to me when we get back to Konoha?" Sasame smiled into the darkness.

"I dare say you'll have trouble getting rid of me Naruto." Sasame listened until the boys' breaths evened out into sleep. Only then did he allow himself to fall asleep, sadly dreaming of his lost friend…. "Zabuza."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sorry that I was so late with this update but RL decided to screw with me. I took the next few days to kick its #$. I offer two chapters to make up for it. Good news is that I spent that time thinking about extending this story into the arcs. Originally I was just going to make a summary chapter at the end of this story. If there is enough interest though I'll just nix that chapter and make a trilogy with a sequel that will span the wave arc. The summary chapter will be at the end of the third part, which will span the chunin arc.

If I get enough interest to extend the story then I will need pairings! Requests welcome. :)


	4. Mr Sandman

Warning: All lawyers will be fed to Kyuubi.

On second thought, that would be cruelty to demons.

Domino Effect: Mr. Sandman

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was a sandbox. It was a sandbox, in a playground, in the middle of a desert. Naruto watched as Haku happily built little figures and houses out of the sand that was heaped into the little box and began to wonder at his friend's sanity. Haku paused and looked up at him with a smile.

"Don't you want to help me, Naruto?" That simple invitation whipped all hesitancy from him and he quickly joined Haku in building his little village. Naruto was midway through adding Hokage Tower to the village when a ball crashed into their mini-village wrecking it.

"Move it losers," ordered the boy who came to retrieve it. Claiming the ball from the sandy ruins he took a moment to kick over Naruto's surviving tower and walked away with a laugh. Naruto had just turned to yell at the bully when Haku's gasp stopped him. Looking back he too gasped as the sand quickly rose and built itself into a perfect replica of the town, complete with little moving people. Naruto took a quick look around and found a red-headed boy his age that was watching them with a cautious stare and a well-worn teddy bear in hand.

"Are you doing that?" Naruto asked the boy. He nodded softly. "Sugoi," cried Naruto and Haku in unison. "That's so cool!"

"It is?" said the boy in surprise. Haku and Naruto nodded excitedly. "My name is Gaara," he announced quietly.

"I'm Haku and this is Naruto. Did you know that you have the same eyes as ours?"

"Is controlling sand your Kekkei Genkai?" asked Naruto.

"Kind of," said Gaara.

"My bloodline controls water and ice," announced Haku shyly. "Sasame's been helping me with it but I can't do it without having the water."

"I don't think I have a bloodline," said Naruto sadly. "But I am really fast. They have to call chunins, at least, to get me when I pull pranks because no one else can catch me." Haku giggled and Gaara blinked at him.

"What's a prank?" he asked softly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The three boys hid behind the screen that served as the far wall of the ladies public bath. "Okay," whispered Naruto. "Do you guys remember your parts?" Gaara and Haku both nodded excitedly. "Alright then, let's do this," said Naruto with his foxy grin. Nudging the screen aside Naruto released a snake that he had caught into the enclosure. Gaara had assured him that the snake was not poisonous; it only looked like one that was. Once the snake was inside Gaara used his sand to urge the snake towards the ladies that where bathing nearby. Naruto gave a silent countdown as one of the ladies laid eyes on the snake and moments later the room was filled with shrieks and chaos. At Naruto's go ahead Haku used the chaos to maneuver a ball of water at the neighboring screen and in seconds it collapsed to reveal the men's bath. The women's shrieks of fear turned into angry cries as they rushed to cover up and the poor men found themselves the recipients of a bloody nose and black eyes. Naruto and Gaara laughed while Haku took that moment to retrieve the snake with a water-ball. Unfortunately, one of the women who had turned to look for the snake again saw the water prison and immediately locked eyes with Haku.

"Run," cried Naruto and the chase began. Villagers jumped out of the way as three boys tore down the street with a group of angry women chasing them. The boys were a fair distance ahead of the women by now but they were running out of room to run in. Naruto spotted the cliff face coming up ahead of them and began panicking. "Any ideas," he yelled out.

"This way," urged Gaara. Naruto and Haku followed him into the park where they had first met and around to the other side of the bathrooms. Behind the building was a large boulder with a small cave between part of the rock and the sand. The trio quickly squeezed into the opening and Gaara sent up his sand to act as a cover. Moments later the women caught up and found that there targets had disappeared.

"Where did those brats go," spat one woman.

"Looks like there gone," said another. "I'm going back to get the rest of my clothes. With much grumbling, the others followed her and soon the park was empty once again. Gaara dropped the sand and the three slipped out, cautiously looking for any sign of the return of the made women. Haku began giggling again which set the other two off as well.

"So I imagine that your laughter and the rumors of a snake in the women's bathhouse are in no way related, ne?" As one the boys looked up and found Sasame casually perched on the top of the boulder. Naruto schooled his face into a look of angelic innocence.

"There was a snake in the girls' bath house?" he asked in feigned surprise. Sasame grinned.

"No dessert for you guys because you got spotted and because you can't lie. A good ninja must be able to work unseen or, failing that, have a good back up plan." Naruto and Haku gasped and began to protest. "However," continued Sasame, "you guys did execute your plan well, you accomplished your objective, and you used great teamwork so I'll take you out for barbeque. Your invited too kid," he said to Gaara, "if your guardian says it's alright." The trio cheered.

"Did you finish selling already, Sasame?" asked Haku. Sasame nodded.

"And for a great profit too. We'll be going back to Konoha tomorrow." Gaara quieted.

"You're leaving already?" he asked sadly.

"Sorry Gaara," said Naruto sadly, "but Hokage-ojii-san doesn't know were I am so I have to go back." Gaara nodded softly.

"Gaara, huh?" asked Sasame. "Well Gaara, I do come by here every three months or so, so I'm sure that we can come and visit you again."

"Yeah," Haku chimed in. "And maybe you can come visit us in Konoha some day."

"You really mean it?" asked Gaara hopefully. Haku moved to him and reached into his shirt to reveal a necklace that he had been hiding. Taking it off he slipped it onto Gaara.

"This was my kaa-san's necklace," he said softly. "It's all she kept of her family and it's my special treasure. You have to give it back when we meet again, okay? So it's a promise."

"Yeah, it's a promise," said Naruto holding out his pinky.

"It's a promise," said Gaara as he sealed the pinky swear.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Okay, again, sorry that I was so late with the update but you do get two chapters. This one is my longest yet, which still isn't that long (sob). Leave me a review and remember that I need pairings if I make sequals.


	5. Ding Dong The Demon's Dead?

Disclaimer: Redundant Much?

I just realized that I have been calling the hidden mist village Mizukagure (the village hidden in water) and using kagure for all of the villages. What the heck was I smoking? Why didn't anyone tell me? You'd think I would have caught that the first couple times.  Just pretend that I said Kirigakure, okay?  Let me know if I missed anything else.

I don't think I said this earlier but the Kyuubi attacked Aug. 10 in my story, not Oct. 10, and the Academy year begins on Aug. 25.

Domino Effect: Ding Dong The Demon's Dead?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Naruto watched the Hokage Monument appear on the horizon and realized, with a start, that it was over. The last few days had been the best of his life but he was now returning to a village whose citizens would rather spit on him then look at him. When they had left the sand village early that morning Gaara had seen them off with a wet smile, waving until they were mere specks in the distance. Would that be the last time that a friend shed tears for him? Naruto looked over to Sasame who was watching with an eagle-eye as Haku steered the truck while sitting on Sasame's lap. Sasame was carefully keeping the speed slow for Haku, just as he had done for him when it had been his turn. He had promised that they would still talk after they got back to Konoha and Naruto was sure that he now had a friend in Haku. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Haku slid off of Sasame and back into his seat when they neared the gates of Konoha. So much had changed for him in the last few months but he was already finding himself new precious people. He knew that Naruto wasn't treated well and he would do whatever he could to protect his new precious friend. "Don't worry," he whispered softly to the blond. "I'm here with you." He gave Naruto a reassuring smile which seemed to calm the boy down.

"Thanks Haku," murmured Naruto. Sasame just grinned and slowed the truck to a stop. They had arrived.

"State you business," called the chunin guard. Spying Naruto, he sneered. "So you're back are you?" he spat. "You're to see the Hokage immediately. Don't make me haul you there."

"I can assure you," said Sasame coldly, "that we will be heading straight there and I will be having words with the Hokage about your treatment of this child." The guard, a man of thirty, gulped and then sneered at them. He had made jonin just weeks before the Kyuubi's attack and had been promptly demoted back to chunin by the Hokage when he, along with several others, had insisted on killing the child. The Hokage's compassion for this boy was now well known and the guard had no wish of being made a genin or worse. He waved them through before he forgot himself and finished what he had begun four days ago. A few encouraging words to a bunch of drunks could be hidden but an outright assault would have him caught in no time. He watched with a glare as the vehicle made its way into the city.

"Kenji-san," called his superior. "Your shift is done for the day. You're transferring to the academy tomorrow, right?" Kenji turned and nodded.

"That's right. Thanks for the summer job, by the way."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The village was full of hustling people and so Sasame made a quick detour to his shop and parked the truck. From there they walked on foot to the Hokage's tower. Signs of the festival were still evident, though Naruto was suspicious of the sign in on shop that read "Ding Dong the Demon's Dead" in bright colors. "I knew it was too good to be true," spat one woman once she saw him. "How dare he come back," hissed another. He bravely met the glares of the villagers with a large smile and held his head up as he walked next to Sasame. He would not show them how much their staged whispers hurt even though he really wanted to cry. Needless to say, he was relieved when they reached Hokage Tower. Sasame and Haku followed him as he darted up the stairs and watched as he dove into the Sandaime's arms.

"Naruto," the old man admonished gently, "you had me worried sick."

"Sorry ojii-san," he murmured from the nook of the man's neck.

"Naruto, the men who hurt you have been punished. They won't hurt you again, okay?" Naruto nodded and Sarutobi turned to Sasame. "Thank you for taking care of him young man."

"Please call me Sasame. I'm glad that Naruto had at least one person worrying for him. I was hoping that I could have a word with you though."

Sandaime nodded and pulled the signal for his secretary who arrived a moment later. "Take Naruto and his young friend to freshen up and have them wait in the reception room for us."

"Sir," said the young chunin, "may I remind you that Iruka-san is awaiting placement in the academy."

"A yes, he did quite well in the written phase of the exam. Have him assigned as Kenji-san's assistant for the incoming class. With all of the pranks that he pulled as a child, I have no doubt that he'll get a student just as bad as he was." The secretary chuckled and led the boys out. "Now then Sasame, how can I help you."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

An hour later Naruto and Haku were just about finished driving the secretary crazy when the Hokage's doors opened again. The boys jumped up as Sasame and Sandaime came out.

"Then we are in agreement," said Sarutobi. Sasame nodded.

"Naruto and Haku will begin at the Shinobi Academy next Monday. Naruto will know the truth by then." Naruto looked at them in confusion but Sarutobi quickly moved on to him.

"Naruto," he said with a smile. "You've been adopted. You'll be living with Sasame from now on."

"You mean it?" he cried. Sasame nodded.

"You can come live with me and have Haku for a brother."

"Yay, I have a brother," squealed both boys as they did a jig. The men were laughing at their antics when Naruto suddenly had an idea and stopped dancing. "We should get ramen to celebrate," he announced. The men stopped laughing.

"We will, of course, send you money to cover his bills," said Sarutobi sadly.

"I'll hold you to that," promised Sasame.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm not completely pleased with this chapter but I keep working on it and it doesn't seem to be getting much better. Oh, well. Maybe I'm just being too hard on myself. Yes, Gaara stayed behind in Sunagakure but I will give you all one hint: The next chapter takes a one year time jump.

Thanks to all reviewers (whom I can't name because of certain inane rules). Please remember to keep reviewing because it's your interest that could bring on a trilogy instead of a summary chapter.

I'm seeing a few good suggestions for pairs. Just to let you all know, I'm not opposed to yaoi but the trio will not be yaoi in this story. Maybe a few side characters, though. I am beginning to lean a little towards Gaara/Hinata but I'm undecided as of yet.


	6. Homecoming March

Disclaimer: Own Naruto I do not.

One chapter to go. >:)

Domino Effect: Homecoming March

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Naruto raced out of the academy the moment the lunch bell rang and seated himself on the single swing. Normally, he would be eating with Haku but he did not feel like he could face anyone right then. It had been one year since he had come to live with his new family and he had been happier than he ever remembered being. Today, however, his class had gone over the attack of the Kyuubi in history. Naruto knew that the history had been edited to protect him but he still felt Kenji-sensei's accusing glare on him. Naruto's gaze turned to the Hokage monument and, specifically, the face of the fourth.

"Tou-san, I understand why you did this but I don't think that I'm strong enough."

"You're the strongest person that I know aniki." Naruto looked back to see Haku standing behind him with their bentos. "Don't worry," he continued. "Someday they'll see you like we do aniki."

Naruto followed Haku to the pond by the academy and walked to the middle to eat lunch. They regularly had lunch on the pond because it not only kept the bullies who didn't know how to walk on water away but also improved their chakra control. Sasame had discovered early on that Naruto had horrible chakra control and tutored both he and Haku in control exercises. He had bribed them into practicing tree climbing and water walking by promising to teach them henge jutsu once they mastered both. They had both jumped at the chance and had practiced every spare chance that they got. A few weeks later they were the proud users of a beginner's henge. Sasame was now drilling them on all of the seals that a shinobi needed to know, making sure that they could do the seals in their sleep. They were a far cry better from the rest of their class, which needed three times the amount of time the two needed to form the same seals.

When Sasame had first started tutoring them Naruto had again asked them why he did not want to be a ninja. Sasame had answered sadly that ninja were tools for their villages and that they were expected to fight and kill when ordered. Sasame had not been able to kill his heart and had chosen, instead, the life of a civilian. Naruto had declared that he would only fight and kill by his own moral code and that someday he would become Hokage so that he could protect all villagers and shinobi from having to kill their hearts. Haku, on the other hand, had vowed to become a medic-nin so that he could save lives rather then take them and so that he could protect his future team.

Sasame had taken four more trips to Sunagakure in the past year, leaving Naruto and Haku with Gaara while he sold his stock. The last trip had conveniently been scheduled for this year's Festival of the Fourth. During that time Gaara had told them that he wanted to become an ANBU captain. He had gotten to know his siblings very well and had once told Naruto that he thought Temari would make a good Kazekage since she was smart, powerful, and secretly craved peace for their country. It was a peace that she would never see under their war mongering father.

Naruto finished his lunch and threw the crumbs to the fish that had learned to wait underneath of them. Haku had already used his water prison jutsu to pull out his favorite fish, a goldfish with a bad fin that he called Mr. Popo, and had fed him individually. "Hey Haku, let's go practice kunai throwing," he said suddenly. "And you can practice with your senbon while I do shurikens." Haku nodded in understanding. Kunai throwing was once Naruto's worse subject. Kenji-sensei had often ridiculed him for it but had never taught him how to do it right. He also made sure that Iruka-sensei was always too busy to help as well. Sasame had taken three days to correct his technique and now Naruto took great pleasure in rubbing that victory into Kenji-sensei's face.

Naruto and Haku left the pond and began walking to the training field. Suddenly, the sand rose up and began dancing around them. Naruto and Haku gasped and looked around eagerly. Sure enough, Gaara was just a few feet away, standing under a tree. His clothes were dirty and the symbol "ai" (love) was on his forehead but it was still the same Gaara that they had seen a month ago in Sunagakure. They ran to him excitedly.

"Gaara, what are you doing here?" asked Haku.

"And how long can you stay?" added Naruto. Gaara looked at them both subdued and barely even mustered a smile.

"Can I stay with you guys for a while?" Naruto and Haku nodded.

"Perhaps you should speak with me first." The boys jumped and turned to find the Hokage standing quietly behind them. "Come along boys." He motioned them back to the academy and borrowed Kenji-sensei's office. Kenji-sensei and his assistant, Iruka, continued to grade tests while Sandaime settled the boys and asked Gaara why he had snuck alone to Konoha.

FLASHBACK

Gaara screamed from the pain in his heart while his sand carved the symbol for "love" on his forehead. The broken body of Yashamaru lay before him, taunting him with the reality of his father's betrayal. Gaara reached up to clutch his chest and instead found himself clutching the precious locket that Haku had, again, given him to hold.

"It's a promise," Haku and Naruto's voices echoed in his mind. Gaara's mind stilled and pushed away the chaos surrounding him. Only one thought pierced through his mind: Get to Konoha. Gaara ran until the village disappeared from the horizon.

END FLASHBACK

The room was quiet as Gaara finished his tale. Not even Kenji-sensei and Iruka moved. Finally, Sarutobi leaned back and sighed. "So the Kazekage ordered the assassination of his own son. It's obvious that this would continue if we sent you back." The boys gasped. "Don't worry, I won't be sending Gaara back. Sabaku no Gaara, I'm offering you sanctuary in Konoha."

"Does that mean that I can stay with Naruto and Haku?" asked Gaara anxiously. Sarutobi chuckled.

"Well it means that you can stay in Konoha. You'll have to ask Sasame if you can stay with them. I gather that you'll want to attend the academy with them?" Gaara nodded enthusiastically.

"Absolutely not!" cried Kenji. "I refuse to teach another bakemono. Surely you must see that he is dangerous Hokage-sama? He killed a chunin with almost no effort. Imagine what havoc those two will reek together!" Sarutobi glared.

"Thank you Kenji, for informing me that you would rather not be a chunin. You are to report to the mission office tomorrow for reassignment to a genin team."

"But sir," sputtered Kenji.

"You're dismissed," said Sandaime in his best 'powerful Hokage' voice. Kenji blanched and left the room weakly. "Iruka, I know that you are still new to the academy but do you feel up to taking over Kenji's class?" Iruka gaped.

"Y-yes sir," he stuttered finally. Sarutobi nodded.

"I'll send you a new assistant in about two weeks."

"Sir," said Iruka hesitantly. "I know that Mizuki didn't pass the Academy Teacher's Exam but I know that he would make a good instructor. I've heard the rumors that people have been saying about him but I know that he wouldn't have done it." Sarutobi sighed.

"Alright Iruka, I'll place him as your assistant, barring any outcome of the investigation, but only on a trial basis. You understand that you'll be taking responsibility for him?" Iruka nodded and turned to Gaara.

"Don't worry Gaara; I'll make sure that you become a great shinobi." Gaara looked up at his smiling face and smiled back shyly. Naruto jumped up and grabbed Gaara's hand.

"Come on you guys; let's go see Sasame-tou-san."

"Yeah," cried Haku. "He'll have to let you stay if we hit him with puppy eyes no jutsu, Gaara." Haku had invented that jutsu just two weeks ago and Sasame had found himself completely helpless to the pouty, sparkly, and wide-eyed jutsu.

"Wait," cried Iruka. "You still have two hours of class left."

"Puppy Eyes no Jutsu!" cried Haku. Iruka and Sarutobi fell back at the cuteness of those eyes.

"H-Haku," mumbled Iruka.

"The chakra's strong with this one," observed Haku. "Naruto, Gaara, back me up."

"Henge," called the two boys. Where Naruto and Gaara had been standing were now a Jack Russell Terrier that was dancing on its hind legs and a fluffy, grey kitten that gave a pitiful mewl. Iruka fell back in defeat and the trio canceled their jutsus and ran off.

Moments later Iruka looked over to Sarutobi. "Are you going to tell them that you had already declared a half day?"

"Nah," Sarutobi answered. "But just think about what a great genin team they'll make." He chuckled and left Iruka to his grading.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Here's chapter six for all of my fans. I'm rather suprised that nobody said anything about Kenji. And now it's time for bad news, good news.

Bad News: The parental units have decided that it is time for me to get a job. (shudders) I will however keep trying to give you one new chapter a week.

Good News: Trilogy is official. I will be posting one more chapter of Domino Effect and then move on to the sequel, which will span the wave arc. I haven't come up with a title yet but I'll post notice on this story when it goes up.

I got a lot of requests for Naruto/Hinata and not to many for Gaara/Hinata so I'll go with the fans on this one. That still leaves Gaara up for grabs. Haku will be paired with an OC and there will be one yaoi couple, though I won't really stress any pairings too far. Their Jonin sensei will be……(not telling).

Review Please


	7. At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Inuyasha (you'll see)

This is it! The last chapter! (Starts crying)

Domino Effect: At The Beginning

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Iruka starred mournfully at his now empty wallet. Ichiraku-oyaji, however, was chuckling maniacally as he counted out his profits. Iruka thanked the man for the meal and followed the hyper trio to the nearby park. When Sasame-san had asked him to baby-sit while he made his usual trip to Sunagakure Iruka had said that he would be glad to do it for free. He was infinitely glad now that Hokage-sama had insisted on making it a C-Rank mission.

It had been one month since Gaara had arrived in Konoha. When Iruka had first met him he had seemed like a quiet and withdrawn young boy. A month with Naruto, however, had already seen a rash of pranks played on half of the town. Among other pranks, the local ice cream parlor had found its' famous mint ice cream generously laced with wasabi, the ladies' bath had become infested with frogs, and every Hyuga had found a 'kick me' sign on their backs. That last prank had many ninja stumped. Not even the Hyuga elders had been able to figure out how the trio had pulled that off. The boys had eventually confessed to Iruka that Haku had used a morning fog to conceal the grains of sand that Gaara was sending up their backs to form the signs. Naruto had provided a visible distraction so that the Hyugas were more focused on the tree that Naruto was tee-peeing in their courtyard. Iruka was now thoroughly enjoying listening to various theories that other ninja came up with. No one had gained the courage to test those theories, as of yet, but Iruka guessed that it was only a matter of time.

A few days after that prank Naruto had spotted the Hyuga heiress stalking him and had insisted that she must be waiting for her revenge. From the look of adoration that she was giving him, Iruka sincerely doubted that but he let Naruto sweat. As the pranks went on the boys were caught less and less. While the villagers knew that it was the trio doing the pranks, they could not prove most of them and Sasame refused to punish the boys without proof while the Hokage just remarked on what a good ninja team they would make before moving to another topic. The villagers were reduced to grumbling and hoping that the boys would calm down.

"Fat chance," Iruka muttered as he watched them whispering quietly on the swings with suspicion. He tried to listen in on a few words and promptly decided that he didn't want to know what they were going to do to the Inuzukas that involved catnip and broken squeakers. Iruka looked to the setting sun and got ready to call the boys in for bed. Moments later he watched in horror as a giant fireball descended onto his charges. The flames dissipated to reveal a sphere of sand that was full of cracks. The shield fell to reveal the boys unharmed and Gaara sweating. "Are you alright?" cried Iruka as he ran to them. His eyes swept the park but he couldn't figure out where the hell that Katon jutsu had come from. The boys nodded nervously.

"Iruka-sensei," called Gaara, "the sand isn't strong enough! I don't think that I can do that again!"

"Thanks for the tip," came a voice from a nearby tree. Iruka turned to find Kenji-san running through the seals for another attack. He quickly threw a barrage of kunai and placed himself in front of the boys.

"Stop this Kenji. I don't want to have to hurt you." Kenji laughed.

"It's not over until those demons are dead!" he yelled. He jumped from the tree and ran at Iruka with seals ready. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" Another fireball came racing at Iruka.

"Suiton: Suijinheki," countered Iruka. A wall of water formed and created a barrier, which stopped the fire in its tracks. "Where the hell are the ANBU?" muttered Iruka as he moved to intercept a barrage of shuriken. Two shuriken ended up buried in his arm but the rest were stopped safely. Iruka turned back to Kenji, who had a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Poor Iruka, those demons have bewitched you. Don't worry, though. I'll put you out of your misery." Iruka prepared himself only to realize that Kenji wasn't casting a shadow.

"Bunshin!" He turned to find Kenji right behind him. A moment later darkness was surrounding him and he slipped into unconsciousness. He never even felt himself fall.

Kenji removed his fist from Iruka's stomach and watched dispassionately as he fell to the ground. He turned to the kids with a grin. "It over now demons," he spat. He walked towards them with kunai raised. "I'm going to enjoy ever minute of this." Haku began crying and Gaara was trying desperately to raise his sand shield but the low quality sand could only protect him at best and only for a few moments. Naruto quickly placed himself in front of them and began molding chakra.

"Hey, you genin loser. Stay away from MY BROTHERS!" Naruto suddenly felt more powerful then he had ever felt and a fire seemed to burn within him. For just a moment he could swear he heard a voice whispering to him. Naruto took a deep breath and did as the voice said. Flinging out a hand he yelled at the top of his voice. "FOX FIRE!" A stream of blue flame shot out of his hand and raced at Kenji.

"That's impossible," screamed Kenji as he was hit. His body quickly went up and began burning until, seconds later, there was nothing left. Naruto began shaking and fell to his knees as he realized that he had just killed a man. A shadow loomed over him and he looked up to see Hokage-oyaji and a silver haired man with a facemask. He dove into Sarutobi's arms. Gaara and Haku, meanwhile, were clinging desperatley to the old man's legs

"Naruto, Haku, Gaara," he murmured. "I'm so sorry I was too late."

"I killed him," cried Naruto.

"Then you should be commended," said the man who had come with the Hokage. Naruto's head snapped up and he looked at the man in shock. "If you had not done this," explained the silver haired man patiently, "then he would have killed your brothers and you. You did what you had to do to keep your team safe, just as any ninja should. I have no doubt that you and your brothers will make a fine ninja team." Naruto blinked and nodded slowly.

"Who are you mister?" he questioned softly.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi. I am a Special Jonin. I'm going to take Iruka to the hospital now so I'll see you later, okay?" Naruto nodded and Kakashi went over to pick up Iruka. Both disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving the boys alone with Sandaime. The Hokage put Naruto down and his brothers let go of the old man to embrace him.

"Naruto," he said gently, "can you tell me what that attack that you used was?" The voice began speaking again and Naruto repeated what it said carefully.

"It an attack called Fox Fire, a level one kitsune attack. It makes a fire that is hotter than any other fire, depending on your power, but it won't hurt those that I don't want it to hurt. The voice says that I can use it when I want and that if I get stronger then maybe it will let me learn more."

"The voice?" asked Sandaime. "Do you mean the Kyuubi's voice?" Naruto hesitated and then nodded.

"Kyuubi says: 'Don't worry, oyaji. It's impossible for me to break free so I might as well make sure that my container is the strongest that there is. Just let my kit train to destroy that snake-teme that summoned me to your village in the first place and we'll call it even." Sandaime frowned.

"Does he mean this guy Naruto?" Sarutobi quickly henged into Orochimaru and Naruto felt a sudden surge of rage from inside of him. He nodded.

"That's the guy." Sarutobi ended the henge and nodded.

"Alright, Kyuubi. You have yourself a deal but none of these boys will fight Orochimaru until I am satisfied with their abilities. Agreed?"

"He says agreed," confirmed Naruto.

"Very well, then. You boys will be staying at Hokage Tower tonight. The village is short on ANBU guards tonight so I'll feel better if you stay where I can watch you three until this mess is settled." The boys nodded and followed him to the tower as the sun finally finished setting. The only trace they left behind of the five-minute ordeal was a patch of scorched earth from where the fire had impacted.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sasame parked his truck at the base of Hokage Tower and ran up the stairs two at a time. He had made his trip to Sunagakure in good time and had been met at the main gate of Konoha by a chunin who informed him that his boys had been attacked and were currently with the Hokage. His heart had begun racing and he had nearly hit three people on his way to the tower but he could only concentrate on seeing his boys again. Reaching the Hokage's rooms, he flew past the secretary and rushed into the inner chamber.

"Sasame!" came three eager voices and he fell back as the three boys crashed into him. He looked them over as they chattered and finally calmed when he saw that they were unharmed. He looked over to the Hokage and silently demanded an explanation. The Hokage responded with a look that clearly said 'later'. Sasame nodded slowly and stood.

"Gaara, your siblings from the sand sent you some things." He led the boys and Hokage down to his truck and hopped into the back. Moments later he was crawling back down with a large gourd that was as tall as Gaara was. "Your sister snuck this gourd out of the village temple for you. It's made of, and holds, the strongest sand from Sunagakure. This way you can spend less time drawing sand from the earth and you'll be able to have more powerful attacks." He then pulled a book from his pocket. "Your brother snuck this out of your father's private study with his puppets. It details the steps that the council used to seal your demon into you. Maybe we can use this to complete the seal so that you can sleep." He handed the book to the Hokage.

"I'll call one of my students in on this," assured Sandaime. He's our best seal expert so I have no doubt that we'll succeed." Gaara looked up at the four foot gourd and frowned.

"It's too big for me to carry," he announced sadly. Sasame laughed.

"Don't worry," he said soothingly. "You'll grow into it." Gaara nodded and allowed Sasame to hoist it back into the truck for him. He resolved to start wearing weights so that he would be able to lift it sooner. Sasame was just getting ready to take the boys for dinner when a Peregrine/Lanner Falcon made its way to the Hokage.

"That's father's falcon," announced Gaara nervously. A nearby chunin guard quickly gloved his hand and allowed the raptor to perch on him while Sandaime took the message.

"It seems that the Kazekage has ruled that you are no longer welcome in Sunagakure, Sasame. No doubt he has learned about what his children did."

"No doubt," replied Sasame. "It doesn't really matter. I anticipated this and set up a deal to have my customers come to me. It helps that not many competitors are willing to make the long trip there and now I can make sure that I am here with the boys. I'll be by once I send the boys to school tomorrow Hokage-sama. Please excuse use." Sandaime nodded and returned to his tower while the boys climbed into the truck to head to dinner. Sasame started the engine and swore to himself that he would turn his boys into strong ninja so that they would be able to protect themselves. "So what do you guys want for dinner," he asked.

"Ramen!" they yelled in unison. Sasame sweat dropped and headed to Ichiraku's"

xxxxxxxxxxx

That's all folks! I'll be posting a note here when the sequel comes up so look forward to it. The sequel will span wave arc and while I will have pairings I will not be making a very big deal on most of them. So far I've only planned on going into Haku's pairing with an OC. There will be one yaoi pairing, but not in the trio, and their Jonin sensei has already been decided. See if you can guess whom.

Gaara's father seems like the kind of guy who would use a Peregrine and Lanner hybrid. Not to mention that they're the most kick booty bird on the planet. Those who question Gaara's use of Konoha's sand: He is just six so I'm sticking with the theory that he only just learned how to control his sand and has yet to strengthen it. That and it was a good way to introduce Naruto's new ability and the sand gourd.

Sorry for being so late with this update but at least this chapter is way longer than usual, ne? Man, it's hard to find a job when you're determined not to get one that involves saying "Do you want fries with that?"

Thanks to all reviewers and thank you for reviewing now.

Review Now:)


	8. SnipSnip

Hi everyone. The sequel to Domino Effect is up now so check it out. I'm calling it Fated Meetings. I'm not really happy with that title but I guess it works. All outfits from wave arc are the same. Check out this snippet from chapter one or just go straight to the story.

"What are you dobes doing here?" drawled Sasuke finally. "This meeting is for graduates only."

Hey that's story there. It meets the criteria. :)


End file.
